Deadline: TBD
The University of Prince Edward Island’s Hessian Merit Awards for Excellence in Teaching honour faculty members who are recognized as possessing outstanding competence in teaching. These awards publicly acknowledge individuals whose work has contributed to instructional excellence at UPEI. nominees for these awards are expected to:
- exhibit a comprehensive knowledge of the subject
- be habitually well prepared for teaching sessions
- have energy and enthusiasm for the subject and the capacity to arouse students’ interest in it
- encourage student participation in the teaching and learning process
- set a high standard and motivate students to attain that standard
- communicate effectively at levels appropriate to students’ capacity
- emphasize understanding of the subject over mere memorization (as appropriate) in evaluatingstudent performance
- be accessible to students outside the classroom, and
- demonstrate excellence in teaching, including the use of innovative teaching techniques
Nomination Process
Each nomination must be made collaboratively by three or more sponsors—students, full-time or sessional faculty or staff, and/or alumni—on the nomination form [Word document]. Self-Nomination is permitted and encouraged. Self-Nominees shall present three sponsors.
Each sponsor identified on the nomination form must submit a separate confidential letter of support that addresses the criteria for the award.
All nominations should be sent ELECTRONICALLY to: [email protected]. Please use the subject line: Nomination – Hessian Merit Award
Hessian Nomination Form [Word Document]
Faculty members who accept the nomination will be responsible for submitting supporting documents and an electronic teaching dossier emphasizing their contributions to the enhancement of teaching. This electronic dossier should be submitted as a PDF. The main body of the document should be no more than twenty (20) pages long and any appendices should total no more than twenty (20) additional pages. The dossier may include five (5) hyperlinks to multimedia content to the extent these links may provide meaningful content to your dossier. The dossier should be emailed to the Chair of the UPEIFA Scholarships & Awards Committee at [email protected].
Required Documentation
- a statement of teaching philosophy
- explanations of teaching methods
- complete statistical results of teaching evaluations (SOTS) from three most recent years (please provide the results for each indicator for each course)
- arrange for a confidential letter from the candidate’s department chair or dean (or the appropriate designate), if not a nominator, to be sent directly to the Chair of the Hessian Committee
Optional Documentation
- where possible, evidence that teaching methods successfully enhance student learning
- descriptions of teaching innovations
- evidence of sharing pedagogical methodology with colleagues/continuing education in teaching
- up to three of the nominee’s most recent course outlines (in an appendix)
- any additional material that would support the nominee’s case (in an appendix)
The committee will collect statistical results of a separate student assessment of instruction using a survey designed for this purpose (administered by the committee).
Past Recipients
| Academic Year | Name of Recipient | Academic Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | ||
| 2022-2023 | Magdalena von Eccher Libby Osgood Carolyn Thorne | Music Engineering Education |
| 2021-2022 | Michael MacLellan Heather Barnick Dale Sorensen Darlene Nuqingaq | Applied Human Sciences Sociology and Anthropology Music Education |
| 2020-2021 | Derek Lawther | Physics |
| 2019-2020 | Susan Graham Richard Raiswell | Business History & Classics |
| 2018-2019 | David Hickey Jennifer Taylor Charlene VanLeeuwen (Sessional Award) | Arts Applied Human Sciences Science |
| 2017-2018 | Henrik Stryhn Laurie Brinklow (Sessional Award) | Health Management, AVC Island Studies |
| 2016-2017 | Patrice Drake Brenton Dickieson (Sessional Award) Justin Gulati (Sessional Award) | Nursing Religious Studies & Inquiry Studies Mathematical & Computational Sciences |
| 2015-2016 | Cora Gilroy James Moran Bonnie Stewart (Sessional Award) Christopher Vessey (Sessional Award) | Pathology and Microbiology, AVC History Education Mathematical & Computational Sciences |
| 2014-2015 | H. Carolyn Peach Brown Dany MacDonald Marina Silva-Opps Richard Covey (Sessional Award) | Environmental Studies Applied Human Sciences Biology Music |